Manuel Lanzini ‘almost certain’ to quit West Ham United within weeks as David Moyes speaks out
Manuel Lanzini is “almost certain” to leave West Ham United at the end of the season as his contract comes to a close, according to the Evening Standard.
The Hammers have the option to extend the 30-year-old’s deal, but it’s been suggested the Argentinian is now destined to depart having not started a game since the opening day of the season.
West Ham have shelved all of the talks with out-of-contract players, which was confirmed by David Moyes.
“We’ve been solely concerned with our league positions,” said Moyes (Evening Standard, 20 April).
“Hopefully we’ll be able to get some things done shortly.”
End of an era
Lanzini has been at the London Stadium for nearly seven years. So if he is to depart in the summer, he deserves the chance for a proper send-off. He hasn’t played since the 4-0 defeat to Brighton and will be hoping West Ham’s league status can be secured so he potentially sees some game time before the end of the 2022/23 season.
In fact, it’s surprising to see the midfielder under-utilised by Moyes. West Ham have struggled for goals and the diminutive playmaker could well have been a bright spark. Furthermore, Lanzini is still only 30, meaning he’s easily got three or four more years in him.
A larger-scale squad overhaul cannot be ruled out, despite the money spent during the summer of 2022. Declan Rice’s departure, coupled with a number of players being out of contract could culminate in another busy window.
After the extreme disappointment of the 2022/23 season, there will be pressure on the decision-makers at the London Stadium to make the right calls during the upcoming window.